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May/June 2013 Lite Challenge Entry: The fall of the pirate queen.

Sorry about my last arrival but, I was busy with several other projects, which explains why I didn't think about checking this section of the forums until yesterday.

Anyway, I like nautical stuff and it gives me a good motivation to get of my butt and realize a map I have been thinking of for a while...

I still have a fair bit of work doing the shadows, one of the main reasons I wanted to make this map in the first place, and I'd like to work on the light effects, casting reflections on the object and some of the water...

We'll see how it turns out.

I am also not sure that I like the docking/ mooring of the ships... might need some work there...

And I like the light effects, thanks again Jacktannery, but the edges seem a bit sharp...

Don't know what software you are using but a radial gradient on a mask over the lighting effect layer would soften the effect and look more "Realistic" !! If it is a "Outer glow" effect than you can use a gradient inside the effect. Looks good so far .

"Aye The skies be clear , the seas be calm and the winds be with us .....

I really like the "feel" of this. I have a couple of "nitpicks" that you should feel free to ignore if you so wish. I'm not sure of the scale of this but the details of your docks seems rather large (IE the "wormwood" details) now it could very well be that in this setting wood worms are monstrous and fearsome creatures that create great furrows in wood as they devour it. I would also agree with a bit of "haze" over the lighting. A great start and a worthy entry !!

I am the breath of Dragons...The Song of Mountains...The Stories of Rivers....The Heart of Cities.... I am A Cartographer....

This is really cool. My favorite part is the ship that's half under water. Lots of neat details going on here. My only suggestion would be to up the contrast overall a bit (but that's largely personal taste).

That can be arranged... I am just worried about getting things too dark. It might have to do with the setting on my monitor but I have done map before that seemed ok, if dark, on my screen and were really darker, borderline impairing visibility, once printed...